Some Day One Day (Maylor AU)

Chapter 6

Brian feigned a grin and watched as the up-and-coming bassist reluctantly slunk back into the hall. He exhaled slowly and dragged himself over to his chair, where he plopped down and stretched his legs out under the desk, bringing his hands up to his face. He sat like that for a little while, losing himself in the silence that surrounded him and would until his first class began to filter in, one by one. That silence didn't last that long, though, being interrupted by someone else.

"Hey, Bri."

He dragged his hands down his face and turned his head to see his wife standing in the same place John was only minutes ago. She wore a small grin on her lips and a timid blush in her cheeks, waiting to be let in. The professor couldn't help but mirror her expression and waved her in, the headmistress waltzing in and sitting atop his desk, facing him—but not before giving him a quick peck on the lips; a peck that brought back another glimpse of the dream that plagued his mind. He quickly pulled back and met her concerned gaze.

"Everything alright?" she asked, using the same words she did when she was underneath him, though this time they carried a greater sense of worry than indifference.

"Y-Yeah," he stammered, rubbing his hands down his thighs, "I'm just tired, that's all."

"I know," Chrissie murmured, bringing her hand to his cheek and swiping her thumb across it lovingly, "Liz has been a handful, hasn't she?"

Brian chuckled, for "a handful" was an understatement. "You could say that again."

"Why don't we do something for just the two of us tonight?" the headmistress suggested, twisting a few of his curls around her fingers, "Ask your mum to keep her overnight. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

The professor bit his lip, tempted by the idea of all the things they could do without the baby to worry about. The feeling was short-lived, though, quickly replaced with paternal concern. "I-I don't know, babe. I don't think I feel comfortable leaving her with Mum overnight just yet. What if something happens?"

"Nothing's going to happen, Brian," she giggled, her bottom lip getting tucked underneath her front teeth as she stared at him with a look in her eyes that he hadn't seen in almost a year. The red in her cheeks darkened as the professor's pants grew tight, time and place becoming an afterthought as they unconsciously eliminated the distance separating them—their lips just a breath apart when a high-pitched whistle echoed off the walls of the classroom. Their heads turned in the direction of the door, where Dominique, Anita, and Debbie stood with shining grins plastered on their faces and cigarettes and lollipops pinched between their fingers.

Chrissie heaved a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "Get to class, girls."

"Why don't you get to class, Headmistress Mullen?" Debbie sneered, earning snickers from the other two girls who either took a drag from their cigarette or moved their textbooks from their side to their chest.

"Debbie, please," she muttered, unamused by the deviant's response, "And Dominique, no smoking inside the school."

"Hey, Professor, I heard you're still giving private lessons," the second student addressed chimed in, blatantly disregarding the headmistress's order and blowing a steady stream of smoke out into the corridor—the corner of her lip perking up into a smirk. "Where was ours again? In the janitor's closet?"

Brian's face burned an embarrassed shade of red, his jaw moving like a fish out of water in a pathetic attempt to respond. "I-I don't know what—"

"Girls, go!" Chrissie cried, pointing her finger in their direction and sending them off in a fit of giggles. She sighed and adjusted her skirt, looking back down at Brian whose mortified gaze had been averted to the opposite side of the room—his hands clasped in his lap, his legs crossed, and his foot tapping incessantly to its own nervous beat. The headmistress frowned and stood up, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead and whispering, "Ring your mum."

"I will," he mumbled, closing his eyes and leaning forward to bury his face in his arms folded atop his desk. He painfully listened to her footsteps as she left the room, closing the door behind her and abandoning him with the thoughts that screamed louder than before—no sounds to distract him now.